1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to protective sheathing for receiving elongated items, and especially to such sheathing having a closure integrally formed with the sheathing.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Electrical wiring is used extensively in automotive applications, being routed through various compartments of the car, such as the passenger compartment, the trunk or along the inside of the roof, to provide electrical power to lights, radios, speakers or other electrical or electronic components within the automobile. It can be advantageous to encase elongated items such as wiring within a sheath which organizes and protects the wiring. Organizing the wiring is accomplished by capturing and grouping various wires within one or more sheaths. This avoids an unsightly tangle of wires within the automobile which can be inadvertently snagged and possibly severed or disengaged from a terminal. Organizing the wiring also allows for rapid identification of the wires, thereby providing for efficient troubleshooting and repairs. These are desirable characteristics as automotive electrical system problems tend to be difficult to diagnose and time consuming to repair.
The protection of wiring can also be desirable to prevent physical damage to both the wiring and its insulation due to abrasion and pinching. Abrasion of the wiring may be caused by vibration of the car structure due to rough engine operation and road roughness. The wiring responds to the vibration and nibs against a nearby portion of the chassis or body structure. Abrasion, as well as pinching, may be caused by physical contact of the wiring with passengers as they enter or exit the vehicle or with cargo as it is placed in the trunk. Pinching of a wire, for example, between a sharp edge on the chassis and the foot of a passenger can sever a wire, and abrasion of the wire by repeated rubbing motion against the chassis can cause a short circuit by wearing the insulation away and allowing the bare wire to contact a metal part of the chassis which is typically at negative electrical potential. Short circuits in the electrical system of an automobile usually lead to equipment failure, can cause a dead battery and may result in a serious fire.
In order to allow the wiring to pass within the various compartments of the automobile, it can be desired that the protective sheathing have a low profile, i.e., be substantially flat so as to fit unobtrusively between carpeting and the floor or side panel within the passenger compartment or trunk or between the roof and the roof lining. The sheathing should also be substantially stiff in a direction transverse to its width so as to be able to effectively capture and hold the wiring in place in a substantially flat configuration. At the same time, the sheathing should be relatively flexible transverse to its length so as to bend readily and follow contours of the automobile chassis.
Protective sheathing for elongated items should also be economical to produce, easy to incorporate into an existing layout or design and have reliable closure for manually sealing and unsealing the sheathing so that it can readily receive wiring and then securely capture and protect it. Protective sheaths currently in use have closure elements featuring fasteners such as hook and loop material, zippers, buttons or lacing for example.